Newspaper dispenser



y 1947' J. SABAITIS 2,423,621

' NEWSPAPER DISPENSER" I Filed. July 16; 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \nuemor 4 g n I B Johnfiabams y 1947. J. sABAl'ns 2,423,621

' NEWSPAPER DISPENSEIR Filed July 16, 1945 2 Shets-Sheet 2 w John sab'a'ms Patented July 8, 1947 OFFICE NEWSPAPER. DISPENSER John Sabaitis, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application July 16, 1945, Serial No. 605,358

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a novel and relatively simple newspaper vending and dispensing machine by means of which, by depositing the required coin for operating the mechanism, and thereafter pulling outward on a handle provided for such purpose, the uppermost newspaper of a superimposed number of newspapers is delivered and the transaction completed.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to produce a newspaper dispensing or vending machine which is sure and certain in its working operations, is relatively inexpensive to build, and which is safeguarded against repeated operation of the mechanism in conjunction with the deposit of one coin only. Many and varied novel constructions and combinations and arrangements of parts for attaining the successful dispensing of newspapers will appear, upon an understanding of a construction embodying my invention described in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View from the rear of the newspaper vending machine of m invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section through the upper part of the machine, the section extendin from the rear to the front thereof.

Fig. 3 is a like section ata reduced scale and showing a more comprehensive and complete illustration of the mechanism used.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation and partial section of the control locking means which prevents delivery of more than one news paper at a time.

Fig. 5 is an under plan view of the mechanism used to safeguard against operation of the machine except when a coin is deposited therein, and

Fig. 6 is a somewhat enlarged rear elevation of the locking control against duplicate delivery of newspapers upon deposit of one coin.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction a cabinet is provided having a vertical front I, vertical ends 2 and 3, a horizontal top 4 and horizontal bottom 5. The

7 order to be held at a proper height. An opening 4a in the top permits the user to see whether the device contains newspapers or is empty.

Within the chamber provided by the cabinet 2 structure described, four vertical rods 6 are mounted between the top 4 and bottom 5 adJacent the vertical corners of the cabinet, on which 'a newspaper carrying table I is mounted, the

rods passing through the corner portions of the table. The table when free to be acted upon is moved upwardly by coiled compression springs 8, one around each of the rods 6 below the table 1 and above the bottom 5. The newspapers which are to be dispensed are placed against the upper side of said table and when this is to be done the table is pulled downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and a flexible chain 9 connected to its under side at substantially its middle point and carrying a hook at its lower end has such hook engaged with a cooperating hook Ill secured to and extending above the bottom 5, the springs 8 being compressed] After the newspapers are put in place chain 9 is unhooked and the table I with the papers above it is elevated to bring the uppermost paper against the under side of the top 4. The top 4 has an opening 4a through which it ma be seen whether or not the vending machine contains an newspapers for sale.

At the upper edge of the front I and immediately below the lower side of the top 4 a longitudinal slot l l is provided through which the uppermost paper is moved when it is to be sold. Such slot is normally closed at its rear side by a flat bar I 2 of metal which is mounted for vertical movements in front .of spaced retaining and guide brackets 13. At each end of the closure bar 52 it is acted upon by a coiled spring M located around a vertical rod [5 connected to a bracket secured one at each end of the bar l2, and passing downwardly through an angle bracket l6 secured at the rear side of the front l of the cabinet, which in practice preferably will be of sheet metal. The springs 14 normally hold the closure bar or gate H in an upper closing position.

At the under side of the top 4 and toward the rear side of the cabinet a paper pusher construction adapted to engage at the rear edge of the uppermost newspaper is mounted. pusher construction includes an elongated bar I! of flat metal at the under side of which a. second bar of fiat metal i8 is secured having approximately the same width but being less in length than the bar ll, while at its upper side a relatively wide bar or plate IQ of fiat metal is secured, the rear edgeof which is flush with the edges of the bar I! and ill, but which at its forward portionextends a distance in front of the edges of said bars I1 and I8 (Fig. 2). Said construc- Said 1 shown located in slots 22 cut in the under side of the top 4 (Figs. 1 and 2) which will, when free to do so, pull upon the pusher structure and move it to the rear until the rear edges of the bar I! are stopped by engaging with the rear vertical end portions of the supporting rods '29.

Adjacent one end, for example, the .end ,3 of the cabinet, and located within said cabinet "is an inclined coin carrying chute 23, open at its outer end for the deposit of a coin therein, such chute terminating in a vertical cylindrical section connected to the upper side of a flat plate 24 forming one side of a guide for a hereafter described operating slide bar, the guide being completed by a lower flat plate 25 secured in a spaced relation to and a. short distance below the upper plate 2 1. The upper plate 24 where the chute 23 is connected therewith has an opening for the passage of the coin which is used. It is to be understood that the coin receiving chute 23 is provided with old and well known means for rejecting coins of a smaller size than should be used; while of course coins of a larger size cannot be received by it. The lower plate 25 has two spaced openings 26 and 21 therein, the latter of circular form (Fig. 5) and the former sub- 'stantially in the form of a cross as shown. A leaf spring member 28 is connected at its rear 'end to the underside of the plate 25 and at its free front end is provided with an attached cross bar 28 which is located in'the widest portion of the opening '26 (Fig. '5), while between the ends of the leaf spring bar 28 and adjacent the cross bar 29 it is pressed upwardly into a hump 39. The width of .the bar 28 being less than the narrower portions of the opening 25 said hump normally enters the rear end portion of said opening 28 as shown in Fig. 3.

The operating slide bar 3! which is guided between the'upper and lower plates 24 and 25 is likewise of flat metal, the forward end portion of which is inserted between and guided by the plates 2% and 25, Said forward end portion is provided with a generally circular openin 32 to receive the coin and the front of said opening is slotted to make a relatively wide slot thereby leaving spaced apart fingers at the front end of the slide bar M, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The slide bar -31 at its rear end portion is turned downwardly at right angles as at 33. The downturned portion 33 is mounted upon a horizontal rod 3 5 which passes through it and provided between its ends, but back of the rear end of the slide carrying plates 24 and 25, with a plurality of spaced notches 35 in its upper side of the form shown, having vertical rear shoulders. The bar'fid is supported at its rear end by a block 35 connected to the adjacent end 3 of the cabinet and at its front end by a block 3'! of larger siz to the rear side of whichthe lower slide guide plate 25 is permanently secured as shown. A rod 33 is secured at its rear end to the downturned end portion 33, extend horizontally forward, and passes freely through the block 31 and through the front I of the cabinet. At its outer end it is preferably provided with a curved handle portion 38a to be engaged by th buyer of the newspaper for pulling said rod 38 outward.

When such outward pull occurs, if there is no coin in the opening at 32 the slide 3| will be moved forward until the two spaced apart end portions thereof passing one to each side 'of the hump 30 will strike the ends of the cross bar 29 preventin further operation of the mechanism. With a coin as indicated at 39 located in the opening at 32, said coin will ride over the hump 30 and depress the free forward end of the spring bar 28 to move the cross bar 29 out of the paths of movement of the slide 3!, and the mechanism maythereafter be moved to its forward extreme portion of movement. The return of the mechanism thus far described to its initial position is accomplished by a coiled tension spring 4! connected to the rear depending end portion 33 of the slide 3%, and through suitable connections secured at its rear end to the block 36.

A cable ii is connected at one end to the bar 52 adjacent its middle and in its length is supplied with a tension spring 52. The cable is guided around idle guide pulleys and drums 43, fi l and 55 as shown in Fig. 1, and thence upwardly over a drum at mounted adjacent the end 3 and near the top 4 of the cabinet. After passing around the drum 4% it extends to and is connected to the slide 3! so that on pulling the pull rod 33 outwardly the cable is drawn and moves the closing bar 12 for the slot H to a down position against springs 14. Such movement occurs at the beginning of the outward movement of the rod 38. The bar I2' is stopped by engaging against .the brackets I3 when it reaches a sufiiciently lower position, after which the spring-42 is stretched and lengthened;

A second cable il is also connected with the slide 3!, extends upwardly and around the back of the drum 45 and thence forwardly around a pulley d and is led to one end of the bar l1 and secured thereto. A third cable 49 is also connected with the slide 3! and extends upwardly and 'rearwardly over the drum d5, thence to a pulley or roller 5% and therefrom horizontally toward the opposite end of the-cabinet and around a second pulley 5i] and connected "to the other end of the bar ll. It is evident that when the operating I rod 3-3 is pulled outwardyin addition to the uncovering of the slot ii there is a forward body movement of the pusher structure consisting of the several bars ll, l8 and H9. The rear edge of the uppermost newspaper (Fig. 2), is engaged against by the front edge of the'bar l8 and the newspaper is partly pushed or projected through the slot H so that it may be grasped and thereafter fully withdrawn. As previously described the newspaper pushing bar structure-is returned and then bent upwardly and forwardly at an angle to the-horizontal as shown 'at'53 tEig.'4). A cylindrical member 54ha a transverse opening through it" through which the free end portion of the rod 52 freely passes. The member 54 is a weight which bears upon the upper side of the slide bar 3|. When the bar 5| is in its upper position the slide bar 3| with bar 5| moving with it may move freely lengthwise of the rod 34, but when in its lower position it will engage in a notch 35, preventing operation of the mechanism until said bar 5| has been lifted to upper position.

With the parts as shown in Fig. 3, and a coin at 39 having been deposited in the chute 3| and received in the opening 32 of the slide bar 3|, the mechanism can be operated, the coin riding over the hump at 30 as previously described. The member 54 moves between two fixed stops, one at the rear shown in the rod 55 connected to the block 36, and the other at the front, shown at 56, connected at the rear end of the guide plate structure for said slide bar. Such member 54 has been moved onto a terminal inclined section 53 of the rod 52 so that bar 5| is free to move downwardly and enter the notche 35 as it comes to them. However on the outward movement, as the notches are inclined in an upward and outward direction there is no stopping of the outward movement until it has been completed. But in such outward movement, when completed, the member 54 will come to the stop 56 and will be held while the forward upper portion of the rod 52 moves with respect thereto thereby elevating the plate 5| so that it can pass freely over the notches at 35 while held in such elevated position. At the forward extreme of movement of the slide 3| produced by pulling outwardly on the rod 38, the coin at 39 will reach the opening at 21 and drop therethrough to the interior of the cabinet. If however, there should be attempted use of the coin 39 twice or a number of times by stopping the outward pull on the rod 38 so as not to bring the coin back to the opening at 21, in

a such case the member 54 would not have engaged the stop at 56 and on the return, plate 5| will drop into forward notch 35, as in Fig. 4, and there can be no return of the mechanism to initial position until the rod 38 is moved outward to its extreme forward position to thereby cause a lifting of the plate 5| to inoperative locking relation with respect to the notches 35; and any such complete forward movement will deliver the coin 39 used through the opening 21. Thereupon the lifting of the plate 5|, caused by the engagement of the member 54 with the stop 56, having located the plate 5| in an inoperative locking position, the mechanism can return to its initial position as in Fig. 3, the member 54 on engagement of the stop 55 moving onto the inclined section 53 of rod 52 but by the time this occurs slide bar 3| will have been withdrawn back of the cross bar 29 which will thereupon interpose a stpp against a succeeding operation of the mechanism until a coin has been deposited.

There is shown in Fig. 3 a further rod having a vertical portion 5'! connected at its upper end to the operating rod 38 and provided with a fiattened horizontal forwardly extending section 58. A cylindrical magazine 59 is mounted vertically which is adapted to receive coins for the delivery of change at times necessary in buying newspapers. For example the coin used in the chute 23 will be the usual five-cent piece or nickel, as commonly known. If that is the selling price of the newspapers placed in the machine no coins for change would be put in the magazine 59. For a newspaper which sold for four cents, one-cent coins stacked upon each other are placed in the magazine 59 and the flattened arm 58 being moved outwardly with the outward movement of the rod 38 is designed to pass through a base at the lower end of the magazine 59 and push the bottom coin out through the delivery chute at 66. Of course if a newspaper sold for three cents instead of four cents, the thickness of the ejecting portion 58 would have to be sufiicient to engage the edges of two of the one-cent pieces and push two of them out as change.

The construction described, in practice has proved very practical and effective. It is of relatively simple character, manufactured at a reasonable cost. The replenishment of the supply of papers in a stack, said papers being in superimposed relation shown at 6| in Fig. 2, is quick and easy and the machine is fully safeguarded against attempted obtaining of more than one paper for each coin deposited.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

A newspaper dispenser comprising a case having a horizontal top and a from; havin an elongated opening therethrough adjacent the top, a shelf within said case adapted to support a stack of newspapers, means for elevating the shelf to engage the upper newspapers of the stack with the under side of said top, an ejector slidably mounted under said top and engageable with the rear edge of the upper newspaper, a self closing slidable closure for said elongated opening, a coin controlled pull rod slidably mounted adjacent a side of the case and extending through the front and cables connected to said pull rod and extending over pulleys and connected to said closure and ejector in a manner to open said closure and partially eject a newspaper through said elongated opening upon outward movement of said pull rod.

JOHN SABAITIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 494,444 Salter et a1 Mar. 28, 1893 479,688 Weller July 26, 1892 1,873,139 McCormick Aug. 23, 1932 1,504,643 Nudl Aug. 12, 1924 2,400,104 Compton May 14, 1946 489,069 Crook Jan. 3, 1893 836,346 Spear Nov, 20, 1906 819,422 Green May 1, 1906 1,505,688 Arelt Aug. 11, 1924 733,523 Webber July 14, 1903 

